Joe Warren vs. Eduardo Dantas
The fight was to unify the Bellator bantamweight champion between undisputed champ Eduardo Dantas and interim champ Joe Warren. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Warren bulled in for a double, Dantas stuffed it to the clinch. Dantas landing rights to the body. Warren kneed the body. 4:00. Dantas replied. Warren worked a double. Dantas defending. Defended a single. Ref wants work. Warren tried another single. 3:00. They traded rights inside. Dantas landed a right elbow. Boos. Ref wants work, Warren worked a double. Boos. Warren kneed the body. Kneed the face as they broke, hurt him, tried a handstand kick, cartwheel kick. Dantas smiled. Warren landed a left to the body. Dantas landed a left and a right, worked a double, Warren stuffed it to the clinch, 2:00. Boos. Warren ate an elbow on the break, tried a flying knee. Dantas had stumbled before that oddly enough. Dantas kneed the body, Warren replied, got a body lock slam, got the back, no hooks, Dantas dumped him over, Warren got the standing back. 1:00. Warren kneeing the leg repeatedly. Dumped him down briefly with the body lock. 35 with knees to the leg. 15. More knees to the legs. Dantas trying a kimura standing, R1 ends, 10-9 Warren. R2 began and they touched gloves. Warren landed a right. Dantas tried a high knee. Warren tried a flying knee. Dantas landed a leg kick, Warren got a double to butterfly guard. Dantas stood to the clinch. Warren dumped him down, had the back as he stood. 4:00. They broke. Dantas landed a jab. Dantas stuffed a double eating a pair of knees to the body, they clinched. Dantas got a slick trip and began passing immediately. He mounted against the cage. Not good. Lots of time left. 3:00. Has Warren's hand trapped across his neck, landed a few rights under, lost it. A right elbow. Short rights. Warren's trapped here. Warren kneed the body as they exploded to their feet, he worked a double. Dantas defended a single, Warren kneed the body breaking away, 2:00 remaining. Warren landed a leg kick and ate a counter left. Warren got the standing back. Waist cinch. Tried a trip. They clinched. Dantas broke with a right elbow, landed a spinning back fist, and a right and a left and a right. Dantas stuffed a double to the clinch. 1:00. They broke. Dantas landed a hard body kick and kneed the body beautifully. It hurt him, right elbow. Warren hanging on. They broke. Warren backpedaling. 35. Dantas stuffed a double, Warren hugging the ankle, Dantas hanging out. Warren trying a double. Got it, 15 as Dantas popped up, defending an ankle pick. Sitting back landing rights and lefts under in odd position, R2 ends, 10-9 Dantas, great round though. Dantas' corner wants counter lefts over the top. R3 began and they touched gloves. Dantas smiled. Dantas landed a right uppercut and a left and a leg kick. Dantas stuffed a telegraphed double. Not looking good for Warren. Dantas stalking, Warren landed a high kick. Dantas feinting. Tried a high kick himself. Dantas landed a leg kick. 4:00. Dantas landed a right. Warren got a persistent double to guard. Dantas cagewalking with his legs but failed, Warren landed a right elbow. Warren landed a right elbow. Dantas wants a triangle but can't get it. Dantas went for an armbar, lost it. Warren landed a few rights and a right elbow. 3:00. 'Small cut under the eye due to an elbow,' Big John yelled. Dantas standing, Warren got the back standing. Dantas went for a standing kimura nad broke. Dantas adjusted his cup and they touched gloves. 'Little flash there,' Jimmy commented. Warren landed a right uppercut. Dantas landed a body kick, 2:00. Dantas missed a spinning back fist, Warren tried a single, Dantas defending.. Dantas blatantly grabbed the fence. Warren got him down, has the back,. Scramble from Dantas. Warren defends, stays on top in half-guard. Right hammerfist. Warren's top game looks solid as hell. 1:00 with a right elbow. He's thinking arm triangle. Ref wants work. Short right forearm. Warren defended a sweep. 35. He's neutralizing Dantas. Short rights and hammerfists here. 15. Dantas regained guard. R3 ends, 10-9 Warren. Great fight. Warren's corner urgently told him to concentrate on his breathing. R4 began. First fourth round of Dantas' career, they touched gloves. Jimmy agrees with my scoring. Warren tried a jumping knee. Crowd chanting USA obnoxiously. Dantas landed a hard leg kick. Dantas sprawled a double, Warren persisted though and got it, got the back. No hooks. This position is called the 'crab ride' apparently. Dantas scrambling, rolling. 4:00. He reversed on top, turtled him up, thought about a D'arce. Warren stood to the clinch, they broke. Warren landed a right hand. Dantas ate an eyepoke, crouched down hurting. Boos. They continued touching gloves, Warren immediately worked a double. Dantas landed two left elbows. Warren trying a single. They broke. Dantas landed a big counter left after a combo, Dantas defended a tenacious double attempt. Warren persisted, got the standing back only though. Kneeing the legs. 2:00. They clinched. Dantas got a trip, Warren reversed outscrambling him, turtled him up, they stood and broke, Dantas landed two rights, reclinched. They broke. Warren tried a double, Dantas defended to the clinch. Another double stuffed, Warren got the back standing. Kneeing the legs. 1:00. Kneed the legs. Ref wants work. More knees. Tried a trip, got nothing. They broke. 35. Dantas tried a spinnig back kick high. He kneed the head, that hurt him, 15. Dantas stalking, tried another knee. Warren smiled, ate a one-two. Dantas missed a spinning backfist, R4 ends, 10-9 Dantas but close I think. R5 began and they touched gloves and hugged. They touched gloves again. Dantas landed a jab. Warren landed a left. Dantas kneed the body, Warren got a double, managed tos tay on top in guard, Dantas thinking triangle, Warren defended. Escaped. Right hammerfist. 4:00. Dantas worked for a triangle. Warren defending. Escaped. Taking the back in a scramble, Dantas rolling. Odd position. Lol. Ref stopped it for an illegal kick from someone. Apparently an illegal kick from Warren, cutting Dantas over the right eye. What? Yep it was an illegal kick from Warren in the replay. Boos. Possible point deduction. Doctor checked Dantas. Dantas said he was fine. Final warning from Big John to Warren. For anything. They continued touching gloves. Dantas landed a counter right. 3:00. Dantas kneed the head, Warren got the standing back, tripping him down, had the back still as Dantas stood. Warren dumped him down. Kept the back. Had one hook as Dantas stood. Dantas dumping him over. He did. Dantas got the back! No hooks. Both hooks, no one, Warren reversed beautifully to guard, passed to half-guard. 2:00. Dantas standing, Warren got the standing back. Trying a trip. Dantas hitting a switch and got the standing back. Broke with a blocked high kick. Warren landed a knee, worked a double. Dantas defending. 1:00. They broke. Warren tried a double, added a trip, got it, got the back. No hooks, one hook as Dantas stood actually. Lost it, standing back. 35. Knees to the legs. Warren worked a double as Dantas turned. 15. Warren kept persisting. R5 ends, 10-9 Warren. 48-47 Warren IMO. Jimmy agrees but thinks it could go either way. Possible split? "You won that fight baby," Warren's corner told him. It's a UD for someone... 48-47 for... UD.. for.. Warren! Awesome. His wife Christy applauded and smiled in the crowd. Warren shook hands with Dantas and Dantas' corner. First two-division champ in Bellator history.